I've been in the midst of a creativity slump for the last month. I suspect Covid fatigue is to blame. The Man and I have gone back to hard-core shelter in place practices, as it sounds like the little buggers are everywhere. We decided we'd feel really dumb if we went and got infected now, just as there's a vaccine available.
So I made myself a deal: I'd trace a simple pattern and haul out the machine and get moving. I worked. It did make me feel better and now I have a new top.
This is Top 121 from the December, 2020 issue of Burdastyle, and it's about as straightforward as a knit top can be.
This is the photo from the magazine. It's hard to tell with her hair, but it has raglan sleeves and a bit of a high neck. Not quite a turtleneck. More like a half-turtleneck. It's been chilly enough here on the Central Coast that a high necked tee sounded pretty good to me.
I used a mystery knit that I picked up at BackStitch in Nevada City many years ago. I'm pretty sure it's rayon, because once I pre-washed it became basically pudding in fabric form. Soft and comfortable, but no structure whatsoever.
I made zero changes to the pattern. I could make it a little shorter next time; I'm 5 foot 2, for reference purposes. But I kind of like it hip-length like this.
The sleeves are long enough to just cover my elbows. I'm not sure what to call that. They're too short to be 3/4 length but too long to be short. I kind of like them as they are though.
I was a little worried the neck would be too small to fit over my head, which is astonishingly large for someone my size. I can pop it on just fine though, except I do need to take off my glasses first. Also, note to self, stick to stretchy knits for this top.
Top 120 in this issue uses the same pattern pieces but has a full-on turtleneck. I think I'll go the whole nine yards with my next version.
If you're in the market for a high-neck raglan top with a loose but not boxy fit, I recommend this one. My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.
